Grease gun



N. A. WALLEN Feb. 23,- 1932.

GREASE GUN Filed llarch 15, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor mollflomkitAttorney Feb. 23, 1932. L EN 1,846,167

GREASE GUN Filed March 13, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 flamm A ttomey PatentedFeb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Application filed larch 18,1930. Serial 110.4%,586.

This invention relates to an improved automotive grease gun of the typeused for 1njecting cup grease into various types of cups and receptaclesprovided on present-day motor vehicles, for. lubricating purposes.

Broadly, the invention has reference to the type of gun comprising anelongated barrel which functlons as a cylindrical container for thegrease, and which is constructed at one end to permit it to beassociated with the grease cups on the vehicle. Slidable in the barrelis a piston which serves to forcibly eject the grease through thedischarge end, and novel means is provided for actuating the piston.

One feature of the improvement is in the discharge end construction,which is of a tapered configuration, and equipped with a valveddischarge nipple, whereby to avoid leakage and to permit the grease tobe regulated and discharged according to the discretion of the user.

A further feature of the invention is a novel closing cap for theopposite end of the barrel, which cap is mounted on a pivoted frame topermit it to be entirely swung out of the way to facilitate placement ofthe grease within the gun.

A further feature of the invention is the pivoted frame itself, whichconstitutes a carrier for the piston, a carrier for the cap andcomplemental appurtenances, as well as a mounting for the novel manuallymanipulated lever actuated .pawl and rack means for actuating theplunger.

The advantage of the lever operating means is to permit the gun to bemanipulated with facility in places otherwise difficult of access. forinstance, places where it is impossible to turn a hand crank, or similaroperating device such as is used on many of the present day types ofgrease guns.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a grease gunconstructed in accordance with 50 the present invention, showing theclosing cap in open position and the piston about ready to enter thebarrel.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view'showing 1a fragmentary portion of the barrelwith the aforesaid frame swung to one side to uncover the intake end ofthe barrel to facilitate filling.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional and elevational viewshowing the parts and their specific association.

Fig. 4 is a view of the valved discharge end of the barrel.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the valved end observing the structure in Fig.1 in a direction from left to right.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are transversesectional views taken upon the plane ofthe lines 6-6;

7 and 8-8 of Figs. 3, 4 respectively.

The general arrangement may well be seen in Fig. 1. Here the cylindricalbarrel is designated by the reference character 9 and it is open at theleft hand end, the opposite end being tapered as at 10 and terminatingin a reduced screw-threaded nozzle 11 which is of a construction topermit it to be placed against the intake of the grease cup on the motorvehicle. Incidentally, the threaded construction permits the use ofvarious styles of small couplings (not shown) used for making adependable connection with the grease cup.

This ni le-like discharge end 11 as shown better in ig. 4, is providedwith a slidable control valve 12 having a head on its exposed end withwhich the forked fingers 13 of an operating lever 14 are connected. Thislever is pivoted on lugs 15 and maintained in a position for normallyclosing the valve under the action of a coiled expansion spring 16interposed between the intermediate portion of the lever and the barrel.By pressing down on the lever with the finger, it is ObVlous that thevalve can be lifted to open position, to allow the grease to discharge.

Pivoted as at 17 and 18 on the op osite open end of the barrel is aswingable Frame generally designated by the reference char-- acter 19.This comprises upperand lower spaced parallel arms 20 and 21. There isalso a cross piece 22 as seen in Fig. 3 and the reference character 23designates a tubular guide for the stem portion 24 of the plunger. Theplunger is provided with a head 25 adapted to slide in the barrel andthe head carries a packing cup 26.

One edge of the stem is provided with rack teeth 27. Pivotally mountedon said frame is the main operating lever 28, which is equipped withindependently and successively operable pawls 29 and 30 respectively.These cooperate with the rack teeth 27 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Aspring 31 serves to maintain the pawl 29 in place and a suitable coiledspring 32 mounted on the frame, serves to hold the other pawl 30 inplace. The spring 32 also serves to return the lever to its normalposition as shown in Fig. 3. v

The closing cap is designated by the reference character 33 and isconstructed to fit over the intake end of the barrel. In this connectionI call attention to a retaining spring 34 having a locking pin 35 formaintaining the cap in closing position.

In connection with the pivoted frame and the closing cap, this is ofparticular importance, in that it allows the cap to be swung to anout-of-the-way position shown in Fig. 2, to uncover the intake end ofthe barrel and to facilitate filling with cup grease.

At this time, the plunger is worked out of the barrel as is obvious, sothat it canbe swung to one side with the cap as shown in the last-namedfigure. Assuming that the gun is filled with grease, it is obvious thatit may be forcibly ejected through the valved nipple by simply pressingthe lever 28 toward the guide tube 23.

In this way, the guide tube 23 functions as a relatively stationaryhandle. This operation of the lever actuates the pawls alternately tomove the plunger in the barrel in a step by step manner. Thisarrangement is positive and dependable and insures a forcible dischargeof the grease and an appro priate injection into the cup or otherappliance to be filled.

The grease gun of the type herein shown can be manufactured and sold fora relatively low price, as it is quite compact and convenient inconstruction, and otherwise simplified inthe manufacture. It is sturdy,efiicient, and easy to operate, and there are no complicated parts tobecome disarranged or get out of order.

The stem of the plunger is polygonal in cross section and slides in acorrespondinglyshaped tube 23, so that the rack teeth are always inproper position for efficient manipulation of the pawls. The principaladvantage of this gun is that it is possible to work the plungerproperly and efliciently in limited space, and itcan be operated with asingle hand and thereby avoid many difficulties experienced with thepresent-day types of guns with which I am familiar.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tube 23 is formed in one side with alongitudinal guide slot receiving the shank of a finger-grip device 24a,

on the stem. This arrangement is provided for returning the plunger tostarting position, at which time the pawls must be disengaged as isobvious.

fter carefully considering the detailed description in connection withthe drawings, a clear understanding of the invention will be had.Therefore a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

The present-da grease gun comes in two parts and when t e operatorwishes to refill it he is forced to lay one of the parts aside so he canuse both hands to refill the barrel. Therefore, in doing this, it isalmost impossible for the place where the piece is laid to be absolutelyfree from dirt and grit and in this way he gets some of this mattermixed with the contents, whereas the gun herein described, does not comein two separable pieces and the operator holds the entire gun up,

keeping it free from dirt and grit, thereby keeping the contentsabsolutely clean.

Minor changes in shape, size, and rearrangement of details, comingwithin the field of invention claimed may be resorter to in actualpractice if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In agrease gun of the class described, a cylindrical grease containingbarrel having valved discharge means at one end, and open at theopposite end, a handle structure embodying a substantially U-shapedframe having arms pivoted on diametrically o posite sides of the openend portion of said barrel, a plunger including a stem slidably mountedon said frame, a closing cap for said barrel mounted between said armsand having an opening at its center through which the stem of saidplunger passes, said frame being swingable at right angles to saidbarrel to uncover the open end to facilitate filling with grease, andoperating means for the plunger mounted on said frame.

2. In a grease gun of the class described, a cylindrical greasecontaining barrel having valved discharge means at one end, and open atthe opposite end, a handle structure embodying a substantially U-shapedframe having arms pivoted on diametrically opposite sides of the openend portion of said barrel, a plunger including a stem slidably mountedon said frame, a closing cap for said barrel mounted between said armsand having an opening at its center through which the stem of saidplunger passes, said frame being swingable at right angles to saidbarrel to uncover the open end to facilitate filling with grease,operating means for the plunger 3. ln a grease gun of the classdescribed, a grease containing barrel having valved discharge means atone end, the opposite end being open, a closing cap for said open end, ahandle structure comprising a substantially ill-shaped frame includingspaced parallel arnis pivotally' connected to said barrel, a cross piecebetween said arms, and a tubular extension, said extension constitutinga hand grip and a guide, a plunger including a head slidable in saidbarrel and a stem having rack teeth, said stem being slidable thru saidcross piece and through said tube, a pivotally mounted operating handleon the frame arranged for cooperation with said hand grip, andalternately operable springpressed pawls associated With the pivoted endof said lever and oooperable with the rack teeth on said stein -foractuating said plunger.

in testimony whereof I affix my signature.

NEWTON A. WALLEN.

